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| Alicia Bridges |
| One of the main reasons I started The DiscoMuseum was to preserve and document the disco genre. Here again is another prime example of my mission. Despite having scored an impacting genre defining hit little is known about Bridges and almost nothing documents her achievements. Born in Atlanta, Georgia on July 15, 1951 Alicia has always been proud to be a Hotlanta native, witness the Atlanta skyline on the cover of her debut album. When Bridges recorded her self-titled debut album in 1978 she was produced by Steve Buckingham. Buckingham is a guitarist turned producer with credits ranging from Dolly Parton, Melissa Manchester, Dionne Warwick and High Inergy to Ricky Scaggs, Tammy Wynette, Ricky Van Shelton and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Quite capable hands to be placed in. Alicia, along with then partner Susan Hutcheson, wrote the entire album. The delicious gems tucked inside were: "Broken Woman," "Break Away" and "City Rhythm." The remixing and releasing of the 12" single "I Love The Nightlife (Disco Round)" catapulted Alicia into international fame. The single shot up the charts, #-2 Club, #-5 Pop and even #-31 on the Black playlists. The song became an anthem for my generation, it's impact was so strong that Chicago nightclub impressario Eddie Dugan had the song played continually at his funeral. The song received a major re-recognition when it was remixed and re-released for the soundtrack to "Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert" in 1994. A second 12" single was released from the album. But "Body Heat" failed to achieve the success of "Nightlife." Not that it wasn't good, but as is often the case when you have such a major hit it's hard to overcome the public perception of what they expect to hear from you. A fate that would plague Bridges career was the perception that she was only a one-hit wonder and that everyhting should sound like "Nightlife." She was/is much more. For her sophmore release Polydor and Bridges brought back Buckingham as producer, Susan as co-writer and recorded it at Studio One in Doraville, Georgia. Those were the only similarities on 1979's "Play It As It Lays." The album has a harder rock edge and seems to be grasping at the emerging punk scene. My favorite tracks are "Rex The Robot," a slick dance number with a catchy synthesizer hook and "So Cozy" an early morning sleaze beat classic. A slick ballad, "Cheap Affairs" shows Alicia's versatility and range to great depths. However the rest of the album comes off as more filler than killer. It's believed that sometime in the early 1980's Alicia discovered another talent she had...D.J./V.J.-ing. I recall seeing several ads from local Atlanta nightlife mags touting her skills at various parties and clubs during this period. Needless to say that the musical landscape changed from 1978 into the early 1980's and Alicia struggled to adapt. Her third and final album wasn't released until 1984. By then her contract with Polydor had lapsed and she was forced into a smaller independent label, Second Wave. Once again Bridges and Hutcheson wrote all the material, but this time they also took the production reigns. As a writer Bridges is effective, as a singer she's dynamic, but as a producer she is ineffective. The songs on "Hocus Pocus" run the usual gamet from danceable to rockable, but the productions are very hit and miss. Still I give Alicia an A- for effort. The album features a rock re-working of "Under The Cover Of Darkness" (originally from her second album), which also was the video from the album. Some of the more interesting tracks were: "Drive My Car," "Soul Twister" and "This Girl Don't Care." The lukewarm reception and dismal sales probably aided in Bridges decision to pursue other avenues of performance. During the 1980's and 1990's I saw Alicia several times on television shows, singing her hit. During this time I also know that she was spinning regularly in the Atlanta night scene. I often thought that she was one of the disco artists I wished I had met the most because she always seemed so down to earth and yet fun. In the new millenium my search for any news on Ms. Bridges has turned up zilch, but wherever she is I hope she's happy, healthy and still loving the...nightlife! |
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